A new history of the Luddites, "Blood in the Machine," argues that 19th century fears about technology are still relevant today. It's the latest in a long line of attempts to reclaim the label.
Alright fine, I’ll be a Luddite now. Every time we ‘upgrade’ or ‘make progress’ it is really about controling the working class and circumventing a previous business model. Capital pays more and more for the inputs: fuel and technology, in order to justify their control. And then once they have it, they use progress to justify poor labor protections. They never use the predicted best solution, or even a compromise, they use the solution that offers them more power.
You can be both, and a lot of us are. A Luddite wouldn’t be opposed to the automation of jobs in a socialist society, nobody is being exploited in that case.
We question and oppose the tech right now because that isn’t the society we live in. It isn’t really about the tech at all, it’s about who controls it and how they’re using it.
Alright fine, I’ll be a Luddite now. Every time we ‘upgrade’ or ‘make progress’ it is really about controling the working class and circumventing a previous business model. Capital pays more and more for the inputs: fuel and technology, in order to justify their control. And then once they have it, they use progress to justify poor labor protections. They never use the predicted best solution, or even a compromise, they use the solution that offers them more power.
Don’t be a Luddite: be a socialist.
Because the entire problem with luddites is blaming the wrong cause.
Automation of menial labor is the best possible thing that can happen to humanity, and to the humans working those jobs.
Except our system is so fucked that “no job” = “go die on the streets you worthless layabout”
Every job lost to automation should be celebrated by a socialist society, as it means more of us are moving up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
You can be both, and a lot of us are. A Luddite wouldn’t be opposed to the automation of jobs in a socialist society, nobody is being exploited in that case.
We question and oppose the tech right now because that isn’t the society we live in. It isn’t really about the tech at all, it’s about who controls it and how they’re using it.